Dassai 45 Junmai Daiginjo Sake 720ml

Dassai 45 comes from DASSAI Inc., the brewery long known as Asahi Shuzo, in Osogoe, Shuto-machi, in the city of Iwakuni in Yamaguchi Prefecture. The name comes from a quiet river in Yamaguchi where otters are seen with their catch: "dassai" means otter festival.

The brewery makes only Junmai Daiginjo, all from Yamada-Nishiki rice. For Dassai 45 the rice is polished to 45% of its original size, a process that can take up to 144 hours. The sake is bottled cold, pasteurized in the sealed bottle at 65°C, then chilled fast and kept cold. It's 16% alcohol.

The brewery describes fruity aromatics with a delicate sweetness, and one retailer picks out flower, melon and apple.

Against Hakutsuru Superior Junmai Ginjo, Dassai 45 is a Junmai Daiginjo polished to 45% rather than 60%; for a more refined, fruit-led sake for a special dinner, choose Dassai 45.

Retailers list it as a chilled sake, though one also suggests room temperature or warm. Pour it with sashimi, sushi or light seafood.

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